Brandon Starcevich, Tom McGuane and Jack Steele. Pictures: AFL Photos

Get all the latest news in the trade, free agency and draft landscape in Inside Trading, AFL.com.au’s dedicated column for player movement. Find out the latest on contracts, deals, trades, draftees, rules, agents and who is going where from the AFL.com.au team.

LIONS, EAGLES IN HOLDING PATTERN

BRISBANE will push to land West Coast’s pick No.16 in a trade for Brandon Starcevich as negotiations trickle on between the clubs.

And tied up in the discussions will be the high profile move of Oscar Allen to the Lions, which is the last remaining major free agency deal yet to be lodged.

The Eagles were granted an end-of-first round pick (now No.22) from the AFL as part of their assistance package, leaving them with picks No.1, 16, 22, 23, 37 and 56.

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They are looking to land Starcevich using pick No.23, the first pick of the second round, but the Lions are targeting Pick 16, the first-round pick that is tied to the Hawks.

West Coast wants to trade for the two-time premiership Lion so that it doesn’t dilute the free agency pick the Eagles will receive for losing Allen, which is expected to be pick No.2. Both Allen and Starcevich are restricted free agents.

Brisbane is chasing an earlier pick to tally more points to match a likely top-five bid for Academy gun Dan Annable.

Four free agency deals have already been executed since the gates opened on Friday – Sam Draper, Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni and James Worpel – with Charlie Spargo and Jacob Wehr deals lodged and set to be delivered on Monday. The free agency window closes on Friday. – Callum Twomey

Chris Fagan (left) and Brandon Starcevich watch on during the 2025 Toyota Grand Final. Picture: AFL Photos

PIES OPT AGAINST FATHER-SON NOMINATION

COLLINGWOOD has told father-son prospect Tom McGuane it won’t be committing to him as a national pick in this year’s draft, but are keeping the door ajar for a rookie position.

McGuane, who impressed in Sunday’s testing at the Telstra State Draft Combine, will be available in the open draft after the Pies recently communicated their position to the classy left-footed prospect.

The son of former Magpie Mick, McGuane debuted for the Pies’ VFL side in the second half of the season and has spent plenty of time around the Collingwood program given his father-son links.

Tom McGuane playing for Collingwood’s VFL side in August, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

The Magpies will not commit to McGuane so are unlikely to select him in the national draft, with the possibility of a rookie spot to be decided following the trade period.

It leaves other clubs open to swoop on McGuane, who has had rival clubs interview him throughout the year and keep tabs. He will be able to continue to lean on the Pies for training support in the lead-up to the draft.

McGuane ran a 2.93 second 20-metre sprint and completed the 2km time trial in 6:20 minutes on Sunday in a strong showing, having averaged 28 disposals playing with the Western Jets this season.

His father Mick played 152 games for the Magpies between 1987-1996, including playing in the 1990 premiership, before finishing his career with one season at Carlton. – Callum Twomey

STEELE’S RESOLVE TO STAY

ST KILDA midfielder Jack Steele remains steadfast on staying at the Saints after the club told him he was free to look around for a new home.

He is not keen to go looking with two years remaining on his contract, but would be open to considering a change if another club pursues him and makes the running on a deal.

Essendon is a watch as the Bombers consider exploring a move for the two-time All-Australian and Saints best and fairest winner.

The Bombers were the second youngest team and fourth least experienced side on average this season and have farewelled nearly 900 games experience in their off-season departures already.

Jack Steele in action during St Kilda’s clash with Essendon in round 23, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Essendon is waiting on a decision from free agent Brayden Fiorini, who is weighing up the Bombers’ interest alongside Port Adelaide and Gold Coast’s offers, and are tight for list spots, with five picks currently inside the top 30 of this year’s draft. But Steele’s leadership and character could appeal to add to their young group.

Bombers trio Will Setterfield, Ben Hobbs and Luamon Lual are all in contract limbo and will have to wait until after the trade period to see if they get new deals.

West Coast and Adelaide have been looking at midfield options but are not expected to pursue Steele, who stood down as Saints skipper at his end-of-year meeting with the club. Greater Western Sydney has also been in the midfield market, but has prioritised Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver. – Callum Twomey

GOOD PROGRESS ON ROSAS DEAL

SYDNEY’S move for Gold Coast small forward Malcolm Rosas jnr looms as being one of the first trades to be completed this week, with both clubs making good progress on a deal across the weekend.

The Swans’ No.50 pick is expected to be the centrepiece of the Rosas trade, with the two clubs likely to swap around other selections as part of the deal to help with points considerations for Academy prospects at the draft.

Rosas settled on Sydney as his preferred new home early last week, having also attracted interest from Richmond, with the small forward looking for more senior opportunities after being limited to just four AFL games at Gold Coast in 2025.The pace of the Rosas talks will allow for both clubs to focus on significant trade targets later in the window, with the Suns hunting a move for Christian Petracca and the Swans still firmly in the mix for Charlie Curnow.

Malcolm Rosas during a Gold Coast training session on July 24, 2025. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

Gold Coast shapes as being a key player in the Trade Period and is also keen on luring Jamarra Ugle-Hagan as well as Petracca, while needing to orchestrate deals for Sam Flanders, Connor Budarick, Rosas and potentially Ben Ainsworth and Brayden Fiorini to other clubs.

Both teams also need to amass points for Academy targets, with the Suns hopeful of landing Zeke Uwland, Dylan Patterson, Jai Murray, Koby Coulson and Beau Addinsall and with Sydney having access to Max King, Lachie Carmichael, Noah Chamberlain and Harry Kyle. – Riley Beveridge

DASHER’S COMBINE BLITZ

LATE Draft Combine call-up Oskar Taylor has proven to be the standout performer across testing, with the dashing half-back further enhancing his stocks on Sunday.

Taylor, along with Eastern Ranges teammate Sullivan Robey, was only added to the national Telstra AFL Draft Combine list last month but dominated in the testing, winning the 20-metre sprint with a time of 2.82 seconds.

He also finished second in the agility test results.
 
Taylor has climbed to be in the mix as a top-20 pick after his impressive finish to the season with the Ranges and did his chances no harm at the Combine.

Oskar Taylor at the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft Combine. Picture: AFL Photos

Others to post strong 20 metre sprint times were: Tylah Williams (2.89 seconds), Avery Thomas (2.89), Hunter Holmes (2.89), Tom Burton (2.91), Cooper Duff-Tytler (2.93) Zane Peucker (2.95) and Leon Kickett (2.95).

Taylor was beaten in the agility test by Eastern teammate Lachy Dovaston, who posted a time of 7.794 seconds, which was the fourth fasted in Combine testing history. Oskar Taylor was next at 7.84 seconds, with their fellow Ranges premiership star Xavier Taylor third.

Williams (7.87 seconds) and Zeke Uwland (8.1) were others to perform well in the agility test.

Sydney Academy talent Max King claimed the vertical jump test, with a leap of 80cm, ahead of Thomas and Uwland, who both jumped 75cm, while fellow Swans Academy prospect Harry Kyle won the running vertical jump. His 98cm leap was ahead of Uwland at 95cm and Jevan Phillipou (90cm).

Max King at the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft Combine. Picture: AFL Photos

The morning of testing on Sunday followed Friday’s 2km time trial, when Jack Dalton (5:53 minutes) won ahead of Sam Grlj (5:59) and Louis Emmett (6:07).

Nearly 20 players were unable to test across the weekend, with illness ruling Dyson Sharp out on Sunday, following Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves and Ollie Greeves also not attending due to illness.

A hamstring injury meant Gold Coast academy player Dylan Patterson did not test, while Carlton father-son Harry Dean was recovering from a shoulder injury so didn’t partake in the testing. Sam Allen and Harley Barker (ACLs), Liam Heatherton (back) and Archie Ludowyke (knee) were others unable to test as they worked through their long-term injuries, while Jack Ison, Hugo Mikunda, Wes Walley, Taj Murray, Will Darcy, Jesse Mellor and Riley Onley were among the others sidelined. – Callum Twomey

AFL TRIALS NEW COMBINE TEST

THE COUNTRY’S best junior prospects trialled ‘force plate’ technology for the first time at the national draft combine on Sunday, following a push from clubs to see the new form of athletic testing introduced.

Draft prospects were asked to jump off two plates fitted with sensors to gauge metrics on vertical leap, balance and flight time, among other things, with clubs suggesting the technology is more relevant and advanced in measuring high-performance data.

The plates give measurements on strength and power in both left and right legs, which also helps clubs to predict injury risks and potential growth areas if one side is stronger than the other.

Louis Emmett is tested on the force plate at the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft Combine. Picture: AFL Photos

The technology is already used at most AFL clubs and can therefore also provide a more balanced base line for where draft prospects are at physically when they arrive in a professional system later this year.

Clubs hope the ‘force plate’ technology will be introduced more formally at combine testing in the future and add to established athletic events such as the 20m sprint, agility test, vertical jump and 2km time trial already undertaken across the weekend. – Riley Beveridge